Focus on data, sustainability and stability

Day two of GreenTech Amsterdam highlights how greenhouse growers are increasingly looking for practical solutions that improve profitability, sustainability and resilience in an uncertain market. Across multiple sessions, speakers pointed to a common industry desire: greater stability and stronger food sovereignty in countries seeking to secure local fresh produce supplies.

In strawberries, experts from Delphy and Grodan demonstrated how data-driven cultivation, advanced substrate technologies and low-input growing strategies are helping growers improve crop steering and production efficiency. Digital data collection, precision irrigation and autonomous growing tools are enabling earlier harvests, higher yields and reduced resource use, while biological crop protection and energy-saving cultivation concepts continue to gain momentum.

Tomato discussions centred on turning data into actionable decisions rather than simply collecting more information. Panellists stressed that future success will depend on combining practical automation, interoperable data platforms and optimised greenhouse infrastructure. Digital twins, autonomous growing systems and advanced greenhouse cover technologies were highlighted as promising tools to improve both productivity and profitability.

Meanwhile, conversations on the exhibition floor reflected the broader challenges facing the industry. Growers are navigating geopolitical uncertainty, labour shortages, energy concerns and investment decisions, while evaluating a growing range of robotics and automation solutions. Despite these challenges, the atmosphere remains optimistic, with innovation, collaboration and knowledge transfer emerging as key themes throughout the second day of the show.